Home Research Papers: Water Resource and Wetland

A study on modeling the terminal lake of Shiyang River
Drainage Basin under the natural conditions


GUO Xiao-yin1,2, CHEN Fa-hu1, XIE Yao-wen1, SHI Qi1

(1. Department of Geographical sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
2. Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology and Geocryology, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China)


Abstract: A large terminal lake-Zhuyeze once existed in Shiyang River Drainage Basin in prehistoric period. Since Western Han Dynasty (about 2010 years ago), the landcover of this area has changed greatly because of human activities. The irrigated farmlands replaced the natural oases and increased gradually, while the water was increasingly used for agricultural purpose. Zhuyeze shrank into many small lakes that dried up gradually. In this article the area of theĦ°close lakeĦħunder modern natural conditions is calculated following water budget principle by deciding water income and outcome, supposed that the water resource in the drainage basin was not utilized by human being. The area of the modern terminal lake under natural conditions should be about 580km2.

Keywords: Shiyang River Drainage Basin; natural conditions; close lake; water budget



In other subjects: Water Conservation
Ecological Systems: Aquatic: River Systems
Ecological Systems: Aquatic: Wetlands
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